Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-15

At length the estimated distance had been
tunneled and chambers were prepared 1or the
explosives. The commander Of the army bad
put his forces in readiness TO go forward, and
all the attention was fixed upon this point.
The patience of the leaders was at full strain;
the wor1r1en in the mine were exhausted,
while vet they were jUbilant over the compile
ton of the task Suddenly it was seen that q
mistake in measurement Of about nine yards
had placed the chambers outside the Confed-
crate fort and not under it. The enterprise
would fail SO sensitive were all concerned
because of the critic sEns and ridicule the
strange project had called forth that there
was not an officer with the moral courage to
face the chiefs and reveal the unwclCOme
truth. Reese got men pledged for another
effort and then went to headquarters and
asked for three days 10 complete the extern
sions. The new difficulty shattered the faith
OF tie generals, but the work WIS finished
ahead Of time and the powder was laid, and
thus a second time Reese had saved the whole
enterprise.
Now q, 900 men with cavalry and batteries
were IlAced in waiting, and 81 last it seemed
as thoy.ga By master stroke Lees powerful
walls arc armament would DO shivered 20 o
useless rA.SS. Petersburg would fall, and the
goal of three years campaigning around Rich
moad would be reached, for Richmond sad
Petersburg must stand or fall together.
\ MoaE3T OF DREAD.
The hour for the explosion was at daylight.
The army and every leader in it was awa,.e
waiting for the great event. The minute
hand moved On fifteen, twenty minutes, and
the explosion did not come. Reese had lit
the fuse Gen. Grant, the most anxious Of
them all, went personally to the quarters Of
Gen. Meade to know the cause OF delay. The
mornings full light would reveal to Leo
/ these massed columns, and tie movement Of
surprise would bo forestaIled. Gen. Meade
sent two aids to Gen. Burnside, in command
Of the lire at the mine, and at 4:15 q. n. ho
/ telegraphea over a special field wire laid for
the occasion. The dispatch read:
rs there any difficulty in exploding the
rnine7 1t is three-quarters Of an hour late"
/ Half q ton OF powder was packed in cells
beneath the fort and a fuse running through
q powder trough was burning slowly toward
the fatal spot The long fuse had been
( spliced and might burn unevenly. A delay
. Of even ten minutes now could defeat all.
! At 4:20 Gen. Meades message was repeated,
I and at 4:35 one came still more urgent stat
. -
/ the mine could not be exploded in order to
/ determine other projects Of assault. Follow
/ ing that, within minute came an order
/ from Gen. Grant to make an assault regard
/ less of the mine. Gen. Meade put it il th;l
! shape.
The commanding general directs, if your
5line has failed, that you make assault at
once"
: group of the miners huddl-d at the mouth
Of the shaft, and with them Reese, the first to
put spade 10 the work and the last 10 come
out after the magazines were dlled and fire
put TO fuse. The mine was now his-his if it
should fail, his to be ridicEied, to be by
word and q gazing stock. Fail! 1t had
failed! Daylight was upon us; the enemy
was arousing; his men, under arms, were
walking about across the lines only 100 rods
away.
INTO THE HORRIBLE PIT.
Reese drew his soldiers clasp dirk, and
turning to fellow, said:
Il am going into the mine. If it don't blow
up give mo time to reach the last splice, and
then YOU come to ne with fresh fuse and
/ twine.n
He goes into the tunnel with resolute eau.
ton following up the telltale streak OF
black ashes that show that the fuse is burn
ing its way toward that train of flashing
powder which opens to the sulphur chambers
beyond. Any second the FIRE may reach
there and set the whole mine afaIne, letting
the little world overhead down into this hor-
rible pit At last, just ahead OF him, the
brave miner sees the unchanged fuse; it may
have fire spark or not; one FIRE spark nd
den in that powder cord is enough to set the
trains ablaze and enguf him IN tongues of
fame, giving him tomb beyond the reach OF
men.
What toy Of elements is o human crea-
ture in such moments2 Reese knows this. a
man who handles powder cannot for one IN
slant lose the keen consciousness OF its quick
and terrible power when the connecting flash
is struck. He knows ali, yet presses or,
reaches far ahead, and with blow OF his
sharp blade sewers the cord; danger for that
moment is over.
The delay OF burning had been caused by q
splice in tho cord where it had been wound
SO tightly shat the fire couldn not eat through
freely. He made new, short fuse for quick
work, relit the flashing string and escaped
to the mouth Of the tunnel just as the maya
zine exploded, its chambers carrying every
thing UP with it and spreading mass Of
ruins where the armament Of Lee had stood
grim and threatening ii the morning light a
moment betore.-Gcorga L. kIrner il New
York Mail and Express.